Shoe machine



P. LAURETTI Dec. 19, 1967 V SHOE MACHINE Filed March 1, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 n V- o H mm R m u mu m L o o M n l n e m c a P w P. LAURETTI Dec. 19, 1967 SHOE MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1965 FIG. 3

Piacentino Laurefii A4 ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1967 P. LAURETTI 3,353,307 I SHOE MACHINE Filed March 1, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 '44 ATTORNEY P. LAURETTI SHOE MACHINE Dec. 19, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 1, 1965 FIG. 7

mvsmog Pmcentlno La ureth 2 ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1967 P. LAURETTI 3,358,307

SHOE MACHINE Filed March 1, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Piacentino Laurerti FIG. 8

,4; ATTORNEY 3,358,307 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 3,358,307 SHOE MACHINE Piacentino Lauretti, Newville, Pa., assignor to Proctor- Lauretti Machine Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporafion of Missouri Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 436,245 19 Claims. (Cl. 12-535) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shoe upper shaping machine having a turret mounting in spaced relation a plurality of mold assemblies each including a stationary male mold and a female mold and wipers closable thereagainst, the turret being indexable for presenting the mold assemblies in succession at an operators station, and indexing of the turret, its locking between indexings and opening and closing of the mold assemblies all being produced by fluid pressure.

This invention relates to shoe machines and has for its primary object the provision of an improved shoe upper shaping machine for presenting in succession at an operators station a plurality of mold assemblies each adapted to mold or shape the quarter and heel seat of a shoe in a full cycle of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for shapmg a plurality of shoe uppers at the same time, which, except for the heating of the molds, is powered entirely by fluid pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide operated machine for vshaping a plurality of shoe uppers at the same time, which is so constructed and arranged as not only to be practically trouble-free in normal operation, but also to be practically proof against damage by a careless operator.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a fluid operated shoe upper shaping machine in which a plurality of mold assemblies are mounted on and presented in succession at an operators station by an indexable rotary turret and the turret is positively and automatically locked against rotation during each of its intervals of dwell.

Another object of the invention is to provide a semiautomatic, fluid operated machine for shaping a plurality of shoe uppers at the same time, which, once a cycle has been initiated by the operator, is automatic in the actions of its mold assemblies and returns each to the operators station open for removal of a finished upper and insertion of a new upper.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fluid operated shoe upper shaping machine having a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on a turret, wherein the parts of each assembly between which an upper is shaped not only are adjustable in their action to suit a particular operators technique but also are readily removable for repair or for replacement by parts for shaping uppers of different size or contour.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fluid operated, plural mold assembly shoe upper shaping machine, which, while entirely automatic in the action of each assembly once its cycle has begun, enables an operator to have full control over an assembly during its interval of dwell at the operators station.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a fluid operated shoe upper shaping machine having a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on a turret, wherein each assembly has a female mold and wipers movable relative to a male mold and the female mold and wipers are moved independently, initially under control of the operator and automatically thereafter to the end of the cycle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the improved shoe machine of the present invention taken along lines 11 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on the section of FIGURE 1, showing the female mold carriage in forward position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the structure of FIGURE 5 on the same scale;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the fluid piping system of the shoe machine of the preceding figures; and

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the section of FIGURE 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved shoe machine of this invention is comprised of a turret 1 mounting at equi-angular or equal spacing about its axis a plurality and preferably six mold assemblies 2. Preferably rotatable horizontally about a vertical axis, the turret 1 is mounted on a suitable stand or base 3 having at its top a horizontal platform 4. Resting or supported on and bolted or otherwise fixed to and upstanding from the platform 4, is a preferably bottom-flanged, stationary hollow axle or sleeve bearing 5 over which the hub 6 of the turret is slid. Supporting the hub 6 on a brass or other suitable anti-friction washer 7 on its radially outstanding bottom flange 8, the hollow axle 5 also conveniently mounts on that flange, outwardly of the hub, suitably insulated conductor rings 9. Stationarily mounted on the axle 5 above the hub 6 is a superstructure 10 having or carrying, above the mold assemblies 2, a horizontal shelf or ledge 11. For the convenience of the operator, a light fixture 12 at the front end of a tube 13, which is slidable horizontally in a post 14 supported on and upstanding from the shelf 11, overlies each mold assembly 2 during its dwell at the operators station, indicated at 15 at the front of the machine.

For intermittently rotating, turning or indexing the tur ret 1 in as many increments in a full cycle as there are mold assemblies 2, there is mounted on the platform 4 outwardly of the turret, a main, rotating or turning fluid cylinder unit 16. Swingable or swivelable horizontally through a limited arc, the main fluid cylinder unit 16 has a piston rod 17 which in its advance or drive stroke underlies or projects under an adjoining side of the turret 1. At its outer end, the piston rod 17 is pivotally connected to the outer end of a horizontally swingable or pivotable rocker arm or link 18 which also is below the level of the turret 1 and is pivotally mounted at its other end on a slide block 19. Inwardly of its outer end but outwardly of the cylinder 20 of the unit 16, the piston rod 17 carries or has formed on it a pusher 21 formed with a laterally and upwardly opening slot 22 for selectively receiving any of a plurality of drive rollers or elements 23 mounted on or carried by and down-standing from the turret 1 adjacent its periphery and equally spaced thereabout, each of the illustrated rollers conveniently being located midway, circumferentially of the turret, between a pair of adjoining mold assemblies 2.

Slidable or reciprocable substantially normal or at right angles to the main cylinder unit 16 is a slideway 24 on the platform 4, the slide block 19 is so slid or reciprocated by a locking or second fluid cylinder unit mounted behind it on the platform. A link 26 pivotally connected at its front end to the slide block 19 rearwardly of the rocker arm 18 and overlying the locking unit 25, is pivotally connected at its rear end to the free end of a lock lever or arm 27. Connected to the slide block 19 by the link 26 and mounted on the platform 4 for oscillation or swinging about a fixed vertical axis toward and away from the axis of the turret 1, the lock arm 27 has, intermediate its ends, a socket 28 opening inwardly toward the axis of its turret. The socket 28 is so located as, at the inward limit of oscillation of the lock lever 27, to receive or seat an adjoining drive roller 23 at a dwell interval or position of the turret and, at the other limit of oscillation of the lever, to release or free the roller for movement to its next position.

With a drive roller 23 for each mold assembly 2 and the drive rollers also spaced equi-angularly or equally about or circumferentially of the turret 1, the main fluid cylinder or drive unit 16, in intermittently and incrementally driving the turret from one dwell or at rest position to the next in turn or successively engages the drive rollers and in its advance stroke moves each through the required are or angle. The driving engagement between the drive unit 16 and the drive rollers 23 being by reception of a drive roller in a lateral or transverse slot 22 in the pusher 21, this engagement must, of course, be maintained throughout the advance or drive stroke of the piston rod 17. This is accomplished, without overly widening the pusher 21, by the rocker arm 18 mounted on the slide block or slide 19. With the piston rod 17 initially substantially or approximately tangential to the path of movement of the drive rollers 23 and one of the drive rollers received or engaged in the slot 22 in the pusher 21, the rocker arm 18 preferably has its pivot so located that a vertical plane, bisecting its arc of movement in the ad- Vance stroke of the piston rod 17, will parallel a vertical plane bisecting the arc of movement of the engaged roller. Thus, depending on the length of the rocker arm 18, the pusher 21, under control of the rocker arm, will follow closely or approximately the path of movement of the engaged roller.

The extent of movement of the pusher 21 and its engagement and disengagement of a drive roller 23, is controlled by a double-acting control valve 29 supplied with fiuid pressure, preferably compressed air, through a manifold 30 and having separate outlets 31 connected to opposite ends of the locking cylinder or cylinder unit 25. The control valve is actuated by a pair of triparms 32 and 33 pivotally. mounted on the platform 4 and linked at one side of their pivots to maintain them substantially parallel. The'trip arms 32 and 33 are so located and spaced as to embrace or straddle at one end a trip lug or trip 34 fixed to or carried by the pusher 21 and at the other, a pusher or piston rod 35 projecting from opposite ends of the control valve 29 and fixed to its piston (not shown). Moving between the arms 32 and- 33, the trip lug 34, when the pusher 21.has advanced a predetermined distance, engages and trips thetrip arm 33 on the advance side of the control valve 29 and, by shifting its piston in the opposite direction, introduces compressed air into the advance side of the cylinder unit 25. So powered, the locking cylinder unit 25, pushes or slides forward theslide block 19 mounting the rocker arm 18 and, by swinging the piston rod 17 outwardly away from the turret 1, disengages the pusher 21 from the particular drive roller 23. 7

As the slide block 19 continues its advance or forward stroke or movement, an adjustable contact 36, at one side of its front end, engages a confronting plunger or .push rod 37 of a double-acting operating or control valve 38. Supplied with compressed air from the manifold 30, the operating valve 38 has separate outlets 39 connected to opposite ends of the main unit 16, the outlet opened, on pressing of the plunger 37 by the slide block 19, leading to the retract side of the cylinder 20 of the main unit. Thereupon, the piston rod 17 is retracted, with the pusher 21 held out of the way of the adjoining drive rollers 23 by the rocker arm 18. At the end of the retract stroke, the trip lug 34 on the pusher 21 engages the triparm 32 onthe retract side of the control valve 29 and, by pushing its piston (not shown) in the opposite direction, powers the retract side of the locking unit 25 and returns the slide block 19 to its initial position. The slot 22 in the pusher 21 then being laterally aligned with the next drive roller 23, it receives or seats that roller, and, when the slide block 19 has returned to initial position, is ready again to advance the turret 1 one position.

As it moves forward to disengage the pusher 21 from a drive roller 23 at the end of the advance stroke of the drive unit 16, the slide block 19 simultaneously swings the lock lever 27 in toward the turret 1 and engages the adjoining drive roller 23 in the socket 28 in the lever. By holding that drive roller 23 seated in its socket 28 until the slide block 19 is again retracted, the lock lever 27 locks the turret 1 against rotation at the same time that it is released by the main unit 16 and holds it locked in the interval between the disengagement of one drive roller and engagement of the neXt by the pusher 21. Swung out of the way when the slide block 19 returns to initial position, the lock lever 27 offers no restraint to the succeeding advance movement of the turret 1 under force of the main unit 16.

Moving automatically under full control to the next position, once a movement has been initiated, the turret 1 is initiated in its movement bypushing or depressing the push button 40 of a starter or pilot valve 41 receiving air from the manifold 30 and connected by aline 42 to the side of the operating valve 38 opposite the plunger 37. Shifting the piston (not shown) of the operating valve 3t? in the direction opposite that in which it was ushed by the slide block 19, the actuating air from the starter valve 41 enables operating an to be supplied from the appropriate outlet 39 of the operating valve to the ad- Vance side of the cylinder 20 of the drive unit 16, where upon the turret 1 is automatically advanced to the next position in the manner previously described. To prevent the piston rod 17 from advancing except when the pusher 21 is engaged with a drive roller 23, there preferably is interposed in the line 42 -a one-Way safety valve 43 0f the return spring type, which is only open when engaged. in the retract or initial position of the slide block 19, by an actuating rod on and projecting rearwardly from the slide block. In addition, the operating air from the opera ating valve 38 to the retract sideof the cylinder 20 preferably acts indirectly on the main unit 16 by applying its pressure to the surface of oil-contained in a closed tan or reservoir 45 which is connected at the bottom to the retract side of the cylinder 20. This indirect application of pressure to the retract side of the cylinder 20, not only ensures smooth retraction of the piston rod 17, but, with the connecting line 46 then acting as a restricted orifice} also smooths or cushions the advancestroke of the rod.

With the turret 1 constructed and operating in the above fashion, each of the mold assemblies 2 of the preferred shoe machine includes an open-topped and ended housing or casing 47 disposed, end-wise, radially of the turret and bolted or otherwise releasably secured thereto. Stationarily mounted or seated in the outer end of the housing 47, conveniently on and insulated and upstanding from the housing s bottom wall 48, to which it is releasably secured by suitable means, such as the illustrated'U-clamp 49, is a male or inner mold or die 50. Usually made of metal and having an inbuilt heater 51 for supplying the heat required in the shaping or molding of the shoe upper, the male mold 50 has its heater elec trically connected in parallel with those of the other male molds, through a suitable common slide contact and eir cuit (not shown) mounted in the turret 1, and an individual plug-in lead 51, to the conductor rings 9 on the bottom flange 8 of the hollow axle 5. The male mold 50 is centered laterally on the housing 47 and has at the rear and sides over its upper part an inner shaping or forming surface 53 of the inner contour or configuration of the shoe upper to be shaped. The top or upper surface 54 of the mold 50 is fiat and horizontal.

Each mold assembly 2 has two main movable members, each slidable or reciprocable in and longitudinally of the housing 47 in suitable channels or grooves 55 in the housings side walls 56, one, a carriage or slide plate 57 mounting a female or outer mold or die 58 and the second, mounted above the first, a wiper carriage 59. The female mold carriage 57 has, adjacent its rear end, an integral or fixed, upstanding, forwardly facing abutment 60. Slidable longitudinally on the preferably fiat upper surface 61 of the carriage 57, forwardly of the abutment 60, the female mold 58 conveniently is held on and guided along that surface by laterally spaced, parallel guide plates 62 secured to the surface adjacent its sides. The female mold 58 is formed by a base plate 63 which slides on the surface 61 between the guide plates 62 and a U-shaped mounting bracket 64 integral with or fixed or secured to the base plate. The mounting bracket 64 has at the sides forwardly projecting, laterally spaced arms 65 and, like the male mold 50, is centered laterally on the housing 47. For cooperating with the male mold 50 in shaping a shoe upper, the female mold 58 has a pair of rigid jaws 66 disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal centerline of the housing 47. Each of the jaws 66 is pivoted, hinged or fulcrumed intermediate its longitudinal extremities to one of the arms 65 adjacent the latters front end, the pivots 67 of the jaws being vertical or normal to the bottom wall 48 of the housing 47 for enabling the jaws to swing relative to each other, horizontally or parallel to that Wall.

The jaws 66 have outwardly flared front ends 68 and, rearwardly thereof, together define a forwardly opening aperture or opening 69 in which the male mold 50 is received or seated in a shaping operation and which, when the jaws are closed or clamped on the male mold, conforms in peripheral contour to the shaping surface 53 of the male mold. The aperture 69 extends rearwardly, preferably to a point substantially in lateral alignment with the pivots 67 and the jaws at the back of the aperture are spaced laterally at all times to define therebetween a rearwardly extending, forwardly opening recess 60 extending the full height of the female mold 58. The gap between the jaws 66 formed by this recess normally is bridged, covered or closed by a liner 71 which covers the front ends 68 of the jaws and extends therefrom continuously around the aperture 69 to provide the latter with an uninterrupted surface.

The liner 71, as a whole, is flexible to follow the movements of the jaws 66 between open and closed positions and is screwed or otherwise attached or secured at the sides to the jaws, conveniently through side or positioning ribs 72 which are fixed to or rigid with and outstand laterally from opposite sides of the liner and fit or seat in correspondingly positioned, inwardly opening slots 73 in the jaws at the sides of the aperture 69. The liner 71 preferably is plural-layered, with a facing 74 of heatresistant, smooth, slippery or lubricious material, such as Teflon, for easy sliding over a shoe upper, and a resilient backing 75 of leather, rubber or like suitable material, a composite backing formed of leather and rubber being preferred over leather as providing a comparable lack of shrinkage and better resilience.

The liner 71 also has fixed or secured to or made rigid with it, a bearing block 76 which is positioned centrally of and coextensive in height with the liner and projects or extends rearwardly therefrom. Adapted to seat or be received in the recess 70 between the jaws 66 at the back of the aperture 69, the bearing block 76 has a rear face or surface 77 which is directed vertically or normal to the bottom wall 48 of the housing 47 and is flat or planar and normal or perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the housing. The bearing block 76 conforms at the front to the back of the liner 71 and in the main is made of leather or light resilient material, but for wearresistance, appropriately has its rear face 77 formed on an angle or L-shaped wear plate 78 covering the back and bottom of the main part of the block and cemented or otherwise secured thereto.

The rear face 77 of the bearing block 76 is adapted to be engaged or contacted constantly over its entire height by a pair of preferably knife-edged, pressure or bearing shoulders 79, one formed on the rear part of each jaw 66 rearwardly of the pivots 67. With the liner 71 connected only at the sides to the jaws 66 and loose at the back, and the contact between the pressure shoulders 79 and the rear face 77 of the bearing block 76 along lines parallel to the axes of the pivot 67, any forces transmitted between the shoulders and the block will be distributed uniformly throughout the height of the liner over the part thereof backed by the bearing block, thus ensuring against creasing or cutting of a shoe upper at the back during shaping. In addition, since the shoulders 79 are to the rear of the pivots 67 and will swing inwardly as the front ends 68 of the jaws 66 swing outwardly and vice-versa, the reactance of the male mold against the back of the liner 71, as the male mold seats in the female mold 58, will act through the bearing block 76 and the shoulders and exert the force necessary to close the jaws on the male mold, without resort to the cams or other extraneous means employed in conventional split molds.

The pivotal connections between the jaws 66 and their pivots 67 are made through bent or angle levers 80 integral or rigid with and outstanding laterally from the jaws and having their laterally extending arms 81 pivoted intermediate their ends to the forwardly projecting arms of the mounting bracket 64. The outer arms 82 of the bent levers project rearwardly from the lateral arms 81 and mount at the rear side rollers 83 for engagement with earns 84 attached and longitudinally adjustable relative to the side walls 56 of the housing 47. Disposed rearwardly of the rollers 83, when the female mold 58 is closed on the male mold 50, the cams 84 are engaged by the rollers as the female mold is retracted at the end of a shaping operation and, by the resultant camming action, spread or open the jaws 66 so that a finished upper can be removed and a new one inserted. Except when opened by the camming action of the rollers 83 and cams 84, the jaws 66 are yieldably urged toward each other by spring links 85 anchored at the rear to the abutment 60 and acting forwardly on the outer ends of the lateral arms 81 of the bent levers 80.

To ensure that the pressure exerted by the female mold 58 and the male mold 50 on an interposed liner will be substantially uniform, despite expectable variations in the thickness of the liners delivered to the machine, is the reason for the sliding mounting of the female mold on its carriage 57. The desired substantially uniform pressure is obtained by interposing between the confronting faces of the abutment 60 and the mounting bracket 64 resilient means, conveniently in the form of a plurality of coil springs 86 acting forwardly on the mounting bracket and each held in place by a headed bolt 87 threaded at the front into the mounting bracket and extending through and having a sliding fit with the abutment.

The wiper carriage 59 has at the front a vertically and forwardly opening, laterally centered cavity or aperture 88. Pivotally mounted on the underside of the carriage 59, rearwardly of the cavity 88, by a common vertical, laterally centered pivot pin 89, are a pair of wipers or wiper blades 90, conveniently of L-shape and interfitting at the rear and spaced at the front. Rigid and swingable relative to each other, the wipers 90 have upper and lower faces 91 and 92, respectively, which for the most part are fiat and smooth and parallel to each other and the horizontal top surface of the male mold 50. With their upper faces 91 sliding on a flat horizontal undersurface 93 of the carriage 59, the wipers 90, after the female mold 53' has closed on the male mold 50 against an interposed shoe upper, are designed to be brought forward and sweep inwardly toward each other over and against the top surface 54 of the male mold to bend inwardly thereon a part of the shoe upper left projecting above the male and female molds and thus form the uppers heel seat. Since the inner or confronting edges 94 of the wipers 90- forwardly of the pivot 89 will first engage the upwardly projecting part of the shoe upper, the corners of these edges with the lower faces 92, preferably are rounded to avoid cutting of the shoe upper.

For opening and closing the wipers 90 in unison and at the proper time, there are pivotally mounted on the undersurface 93 of the carriage 59 adjacent its sides, a pair of straight levers 59 having cylindrically surfaced inner ends 96, each of which fits in a side-opening socket 97 in one of the wipers. The levers 95 project outwardly beyond the sides of the carriage 59 and, therebeyond, overhang the side walls 56 of the housing 47 and, in the longitudinal movements of the carriage, are embraced or straddled by and move between pairs of longitudinally spaced and adjustable stops 98, one pair mounted on each. side wall. Of the stops 98, those at the front are so positioned as to be engaged by the outer ends of the levers 95 as the wipers 90 approach the male mold 50 and, by applying leverage through the levers, swing the wipers inwardly over the top 54 of the male mold. Conversely, toward the opposite limit of movement of the wiper carriage 59, the outer ends of the levers 95 are engaged by the stops 98 at the rear and thus cause the lovers to swing the wipers 90 open. a

7 Unlike the usual mold assembly, each of the preferred mold assemblies 2 carries its own gage plate 99 for enabling an operator to determine whether the amount of the shoe upper projecting above the male mold 50* is correct before closing the female mold 58 upon it. Rigid and preferably made of Plexiglas or like suitable trans! parent plastic, the gage plate 99 normally fits in and is centered laterally on the front cavity 88 in the wiper carriage 59 and is centered also on and projectable downwardly into the opening 100 between the confronting edges 94 of the wipers 90* when the latter are spread apart. Each gage plate 99 is screwed or otherwise secured to the underside of a laterally and downwardly ofiset front arm 101 of a mounting bar 102, which extends longitudinally of the wiper carriage 59 to one side of the latters longitudinal centerline and, intermediate its ends,

is pivotally mounted on the top of the wiper carriage for pivoting'about. a horizontal axis perpendicular to that centerline. A spring 103 mounted on the top of the carriage 59 and acting vertically 'therebetween and the mouning bar 102, forwardly of the latters pivot, by pressing the rear end of the bar against the top of the carriage, holds the bar and thus the gage plate 99 in its normal or inactive position in the cavity 83.

While the gage plates 99 are individual to the mold assemblies 2, they have or share a common means for setting or positioning them at the desired height or level at' the operators station 15. This common setting means 104 for adjusting or setting the vertical spacing between a each gage plate 99 and the top 54 of the male mold at the operators station 15,- has a mounting plate 105 fixed to and projecting forwardly from the top, shelfll on the superstructure 10 above the mold assemblies 2.' The setting means 104 might simply have a vertically adjustable pressure foot or element adapted to engage and press downwardly the front end of the gage bar 102 as the gage plate 99 is moved forwardly into gaging position over the male mold 50. However, to enable the setting means 104 to function properly under normal conditions and yet yield and prevent damage to itself and the mounting bar 102, in case the depressing of the bar to the desired amount is accidentally prevented by some foreign matter between the front part of the bar and the top of the carriage 59, the preferred setting means has a bent leg 106 disposed below the mounting plate and pivoted intermediate its ends 2 thereto through ears 107 integral with and outstanding from sides of the leg and straddling the plate. A horizontally directed pressure foot 108, at the bottom of the downwardly bent front end of the leg 106, is urged downwardly by a spring 109 acting substantially vertically between itself and the mounting plate 105 and stronger than the spring 103 for the gage bar 102. The vertical position of the foot 108 and the force of its spring 109, are set, adjusted or determined by an adjusting screw 110, threaded downwardly through the mounting plate 105 and normally bearing downwardly against the opposite end of the leg. With this arrangement forward movement of the gage plate 99 to gaging position will engage the underside of the foot 108 with the top of the mounting bar 102 and, except in the presence of an accidental obstruction, push the gage plate downwardly to the desired spacing above the male mold 50, as determined by the setting of the adjusting screw 110.

The movements of the female mold and wiper carriages 57 and 59, respectively for gaging, closing the mold and wiping, in the preferred machine, in part are produced at the operators station 15 by fluid pressure under control of the operator and in balance are produced automatically beyond the operators station as a mold assembly 2 turns on the turret 1 in its full cycle. The various movements are imparted to both carriages through rollers mounted at their rear ends for rotation about vertical axes, the roller 111 for the wiper carriage 59 projecting or being disposed above its rear end, while the roller 112 for the female mold carriage 57 depends from a mounted horizontally on the superstructure 10 at a level to engage the side of the carriages actuating roller 112. The rail 113 has outer and inner rims or tracks 114 and 115, respectively, of which the outer rim is cylindrical and concentric with the turret 1 from a point immediately beyond the operators station 15 approximately to the radial position occupied by the roller 112 at the station or dwell immediately in advance of the operators station 15. The inner rim 115 is setback for clearance immediately beyond the operators statiOn 15, but thereafter, to a point beyond the cylindricality of the outer rim 114, is cylindrical and concentric with the turret 1. The radial disposition and spacing of the outer and inner rims 114 and 115 is such that, when the roller 112 is riding on the outer rim, the carriage 57 is in its forward or advanced position with the female mold 58 closed about the male mold 15. Conversely, when the roller 112 is rid ing 47 with the jaws 66 fully open' as a result of the camming action of the earns 84 and the side rollers 83.

At theirpnds in advance of the operators station 15, the outer and inner rims 114 and 115are connected by a cam slot or track 116 bounded at one side by the adjoining end of the rail 113 and at the other by a mold or mold carriage cam 117 which is fixed to the superstruc-v ture 10 and has at its leading end a horn 118 extending or projecting over or overlapping the adjoining end of the outer rim or track 114. Thus, while a roller 112, riding on the inner rim or track 115, will be uneffected by and ride across the inner end of the cam slot 116, a roller riding on the outer rim or track 114, as it approaches the end of that rim, will be engaged by the horn 118 and directed by it into the cam slot 116. Then, as it traverses the cam slot 116, the roller 112 will be pulled or cammed inwardly toward the center of the turret 1 and in turn will have pulled the mold carriage 57 to retracted position by the time the end of the cam slot is reached.

At the operators station 15, the trailing end of the mold cam 117 and the leading end of the rail 113, bound and are spaced by a slot 119 directed radially of the turret 1, through which the actuating roller 112 can pass for enabling the mold carriage 57 to be moved from retracted to advanced position. This movement, initiated by the operator after a shoe upper has been placed in proper position on the male mold 50, is produced by a mold closing or controlling fluid cylinder unit 120, rockably or pivotally mounted in the stand 3 below the hollow axle 5 and extending upwardly therethrough. Contained or housed mainly in the axle 5, the mold closing unit 120, thereabove, is pivotally connected to the inner ends of the arms 121 of a toggle 122. One of these arms 121 is pivotally connected at its outer end to a fixed part of the superstructure 10. The other arm 121 has its outer end pivotally connected to a pusher or push plate 123 which is slidably mounted on the superstructure for movement radially of the turret 1 beneath the mold carriage 57 of the mold assembly 2 then at the operators station 15. Integral with or fixed to and upstanding from the push plate 123 is a lug or shoulder 124, which, when the toggle 122 is collapsed, lies or is disposed behind or back of and on the same level as the roller 112 of the mold assembly 2 at the operators station in the retracted position of the mold can'age 57. With this arrangement, actuation of the mold unit 120, with the mold carriage 57 retracted, to extend or expand the toggle 122, will push the push plate 123 forward or outward and, by the push of the upstanding lug 124 against the back of the roller 112, push the carriage forward to its advanced position in which the female mold 58 is closed about the male mold 50.

While a mold assembly 2 is at the operators station 15, its mold roller 112 normally is held or locked to the push plate 123 against the push lug 124 by a springpressed catch 125 which is pivotally mounted on the push plate 123 and conveniently is of C-shape with one end projecting upwardly in front of the roller. Readily accessible for release or tripping, if it is desired to slide the mold carriage 57 out of the housing 47, the C-catch 125, by otherwise locking the roller 112 to the push plate 123, enables an operator to retract the female mold 58 by operating the mold unit 120 to collapse the toggle 122 and retract and open the female mold 58, if a shoe upper between that mold and the male mold 50 needs to be repositioned before being started on its cycle.

The two forward movements required of the wiper carriage 59, one, partial, for positioning the gage plate 99 above the male mold 50 for gaging the height of a shoe upper newly inserted about the male mold, and the other, full, for wiping the projecting part of an upper against the top 54 of the male mold, are produced separately and independently of movement of the mold carriage 57. The partial or gaging forward movement is produced by a gaging fluid cylinder unit 126 pivotally mounted on the shelf 11 and acting through a gaging lever 127 pivotally mounted at one end on the shelf and pivotally connected intermediate its ends to a gaging unit. At its opposite or free end, the gaging lever 127 swingably or pivotally mounts a push or gaging block 128. Suspended from the gaging lever 127, the swinging push block 128, in the retracted position of the gaging unit 126, occupies a position backward or to the rear of and vertically overlapping or on a level with the roller 111 of a wiper carriage 59 in retracted position at the operators station 15.

Aligned radially with the roller 111, the push block 128 has at the front a cylindrically concave seat 129 for receiving or seating and ensuring engagement with the roller during forward movement of the carriage 59 to gaging position under force of the gaging unit 126. The extent of forward movement of the wiper carriage 59 under force of the gaging unit 126 is controlled firstly by the stroke of the gaging unit and secondly by a stop 130 interrupting or disposed in the path of forward movement of the roller 111 and conveniently forming part of a wiper retracting cam plate or cam 131 fixed to the underside of the shelf 11. The preferred swinging mounting of the push block 128 is to enable it to be swung harmlessly out of the way by a roller 111 of a wiper carriage 59 which accidentally has been retracted too far into circumferential alignment with the push block when its mold assembly 2 reaches the operators station 15.

The further advance of the wiper carriage 59 to wiping position is produced after it leaves the operators station 15. If the wiper carriage 59 has been advanced at the operators station 15 to gaging position, its roller 111, as it leaves the operators station, will be positioned to engage the outer or camming surface '132 of a wiper advancing cam or cam plate 133 fixed to the underside of the shelf 11. As the mold assembly 2 advances toward the next station or dwell of the turret, the wiper roller 111, by riding on the camming surface 132, will cause partial advance of the wiper carriage 59 to wiping position.

The balance of the advance of the wiper carriage 59 is produced at the next station beyond the operators station 15 by a wiper advancing fluid cylinder unit 134 pivotally mounted on the shelf 11. The wiper unit 134 is pivotally connected to the outer end of a wiper lever 135 which has its opposite end pivotally mounted on a mounting bracket 136 fixed to the shelf 11. Swingable or pivotable in a horizontal plane, the wiper lever 135 has at the front intermediate its ends, an integral push plate 137, to which, in the retracted position of the wiping unit 134, the cam roller 111 is directed or delivered by the camming surface 132 on the cam 133 as the mold assembly 2 reaches the next position beyond the operators station 15. Operation or extension of the wiper unit 134 at this point, by forward or outward pushing of the push plate 137 against the wiper roller 111, will push the wiper carriage 159 to wiping position and complete the wiping of a shoe upper held between the male and female molds 50 and 58 by the relative inward movement of the wipers 90 against the top 54 of the male mold 50.

Beyond the second station, the friction between the wipers 90 and the shoe upper will sufiice to hold the wiper carriage 59 in wiping position and it will remain in that position until just before it reaches the position, station or dwell of the mold assembly 2 immediately in advance of the operators station 15. At that next-to-last station, which actually is the final station in a shaping operation, the wiper roller 111 will ride inwardly of or behind a horn 138 at the leading end of the retracting cam 131 and be guided or directed by the horn into engagement with an inner or camming surface 139 on the retracting cam. As the roller 111 rides along the surface 139 during the next movement of the turret 1, the camming action between the surface and the roller will pull the roller inwardly toward the center of the turret and thereby pull the wiper carriage 59 to retracted position so that it arrives at the operators station 15 in that position.

Heretofore, no function has been ascribed to either the inner rim 115 of the rail 113 or to an inner cylindrical surface 140 on the retracting cam 133. So long as each mold assembly 2 is loaded or fitted with a shoe upper at the operators station 15, the inner rim 115 and the inner surface 114 perform no function. However, if for some reason any of the mold assembly 2 is not loaded at the operators station 15, there would be no reason for the operator either to advance the female mold carriage 57 or to partially advance the wiper carriage 59 of that assembly. Consequently, both carriages of the assembly 75 would leave the operators station in their retracted posi-' ll tions. It is then that the mold roller 112 rides on the inner rim115 substantially to the end of the cycle and the wiper roller 111, for the first part of the cycle, rides on the inner surface 140, each to position its carriage 57 or 59 for its forward movement or movements when the mold assembly next reaches the operators station 15.

As in the case of the main drive and locking fluid cylinder units 16 and 25, which together index or advance or turn the turret 1 a step at a time and lock it against turning during its dwells, the fluid cylinder units 120 for closing the female mold 58, 126 for moving the wiper carriage 59 to gaging position and 134 for further advancing the wiper carriage to wiping position, are all fluid operated, conveniently by compressed air, and by fluid valving requiring no electrical actuation. The previously described valving for air operation of the main and locking units 16 and 25, and the valving for the units 120, 126 and 134, are all shown in FIGURE 8 in which the fluid piping system for the whole machine is illustrated. The compressed air or other fluid pressure is supplied to the machine through a master, manually actuated valve 141, through suitable filtering, regulating and lubricating devices, indicated together at 142, to the manifold 30 and thence, as previously described, for operation of the turret 1.

The advance of the female mold carriage 57 to the position in which the female mold 58 is closed on the male mold 50 and the partial advance of the wiper carriage 59 to gaging position, are produced by separate treadle or foot-operated operating valves both connected at one side to the manifold 30, one a gaging valve 143 and the other a female mold advance valve 144. For ready access, the valves 143 and 144 are conveniently mounted on a common bracket (not shown) attached to and suspended from the front of the stand 3 at the operators station 15. Each of the valves is a two-way valve with separate outlets, numbered 146 for the gaging valve and 147 for the moldadvance valve 144, which are connected to opposite sides of the related fluid cylinder unit 120 or 126.

Normally, the piston (not shown) of each of the valves 143 and 144 is in a position in which compressed air from the manifold 30 passes through the outlet connected to the retract side of the related cylinder unit 120 or 126 to hold the unit retracted in its inoperative position. However, on depressing of the spring-returned treadle 147 of either valve 143 or 144, its piston (not shown) is shifted to a position to pass air through the outlet 145 or 146 connected to the advance side of the related unit 120 or 126. Thus, by first depressing the treadle 147 of the gaging valve 143, an operator will activate or operate the gaging unit 126 and move the wiper carriage 59 to gaging position. On being satisfied that the shoe upper inserted about the male mold 50 is at proper height, the operator will then depress the treadle 148 of the mold advance valve 144 and, by activating or operating the mold unit 129, move the mold carriage 57 to advanced position in which the mold as a whole is closed by closing of the female mold 58 on the male mold 50.

Return of the pistons (not shown) of the two valves 143 and 144 to normal position in which the valves apply air to the retract sides of the cylinder units 120 and 126,

is produced by compressed air introduced into the inner ends of the valves. In the case of the gaging valve 143, the return air is supplied through the safety valve 43, which, as mentioned earlier, is closed on advance of the slide block 19 during retraction of the main drive unit 16, but reopens when the slide block returns to initial position. The return air for the mold advance valve 144 is supplied from the manifold 30 through a one-way, spring-return valve 148 which is actuated by a strip 149. Projecting, when the valve 149 is closed, into the path of the drive rollers 23 and located a short dis tance in advance of an adjoining rolier in any of the 12 dwells of the turret 1, the trip 149 is engaged and actuated by that roller and opens the valve 148, but only after the roller 112 of the mold carriage 57 of the mold assembly 2, at that time at the operator's station 15, has had time to pass beyond the radial slot 119 and onto either the outer or the inner rim 114 or 115 of the guide rail 113. Thus, during the interval in which the roller 112 is moving past the slot 119, the mold unit will remain activated. On the other hand, if, while a particular mold assembly 2 is at the operators station, the operator wishes to separate the molds 58 and 50 to reposition a shoe upper, a 'mold release 151 connected to the trip 149 and having a knob 151 on the front of the stand 3 readily accessible to the operator, can be pulled to manually actuate the valve 148 and, by applying return air to the mold advance valve 144 at that juncture, cause retraction of the female mold carriage 57.

The remaining of the fluid actuated units, the fluid cylinder unit 134 for advancing the wiper carriage 59; is out of the control of the operator and automatically actuated in the cycling of the turret 1. It is operated by a spring-return Wiper operating valve 152, which, as usual, is supplied with compressed air from the manifold 30 and has separate outlets 153 connected to opposite sides of therwiper advancing unit 134 with the outlet to the retract side normally open. Like the operating valve 38 for the main drive unit 16, the wiper operating valve 152 is operated by the slide block 19 as it advances during retraction of the main unit and, for such operation, has a plunger 154 confronting and contactable by a second adjustable contact on the front end of the slide. block. As the slide block 19 advances, it therefore opens the outlet 153 to the advance side of the wiper advancing unit 134 by depressing the plunger 154 and activates the unit so that the wiper carriage 59 is moved forward to wiping position. Since the valve 152 remains so open only under force of the slide block 19, the retraction of the slide block will immediately cause the wiper unit 134 to retract to inoperative position.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved shoe machine for shaping shoe uppers, which not only is operated substantially entirely by fluid pressure, but is practically fool-proof in operation. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended. to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe machine comprising a rotary turret, a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on and spaced about said turret, a fluid cylinder unit for indexing said turret to rotatably present said assemblies in succession at. an operators station, and a second fluid cylinder unit cooperating with said first-named unit for locking said turret against rotation except during said indexing.

2. A. shoe machine comprising a rotary turret, a plural ity of mold assemblies mounted, on and spaced about said turret, a fluid cylinder unit operative in an advance stroke to incrementally rotate said turret for presenting said assemblies in succession at an operators station, and fluid actuated means operative at the endof said advance stroke for disengaging said unit from said'tu'rret and locking said turret against rotation during a retract stroke of said unit.

3. A shoe machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on and equally spaced about said turret,-a plurality of drive elements on and spaced about said turret one for each of said mold assemblies, 2. drive fluid cylinder unit successively engageable with said drive elements and operative in its advance stroke for indexing said turret, a second fluid cylinder unit, and means actuated by said second unit and cooperating with said drive unit for disengaging said drive unit from an element at the end of said advance stroke 13 and locking said turret against rotation during a retract stroke of said drive unit.

4. A shoe machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on and equally spaced about said turret, a plurality of drive elements on and spaced about said turret one for each of said mold assemblies, a drive fluid cylinder unit successively engageable with said drive elements and operative in its advance stroke for indexing said turret, a second fluid cylinder unit, and means actuated by said second unit and cooperating with said drive unit for disengaging said drive unit from an element and guiding it in its retract stroke and locking said turret against rotation dur ing said retract stroke.

5. A shoe machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on and equally spaced about said turret, a plurality of drive elements on and spaced about said turret one for each of said mold assemblies, a drive fluid cylinder unit successively engageable with said drive elements and operative in its advance stroke for indexing said turret, a second fluid cylinder unit, means actuated by said second unit and cooperating with said drive unit for disengaging said drive unit from an element and guiding it in its retract stroke and locking said turret against rotation during said retract stroke, and fluid'valve means actuated by said drive unit for controlling operation of said second unit.

6. A shoe machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on and equally spaced about said turret, a plurality of drive elements on and spaced about said turret one for each of said mold assemblies, a drive fluid cylinder unit successively engageable with said drive elements and operative in its advance stroke for indexing said turret, a second fluid cylinder unit, means actuated by said second unit and cooperating with said drive unit for disengaging said drive unit from an element and guiding it in its retract stroke and locking said turret against rotation during said retract stroke, fluid valve means actuated by said drive unit for controlling operation of said second unit, and safety valve means in a fluid line to said drive unit for blocking said advance stroke of said drive unit except when said second unit is in inactive position.

7. A shoe machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of housing assemblies mounted on and spaced equally about said turret and successively presentable to an operators station during dwells thereof, a plurality of drive elements mounted on and spaced equally about said turret one for each of said assemblies, a pivotally mounted drive fluid cylinder unit having a piston rod successively engageable with said elements and operative in its advance stroke for indexing said turret between dwells, a second fluid cylinder unit mounted substantially normal to said drive unit, slide means reciprocable by said second unit, rocker means pivotally mounted on said slide means and pivotally connected to an end of said rod, said rocker means being operative in one position of said slide means for guiding element-engaging means on said rod in approximately the path of an element engaged thereby during indexing of said turret and in another position of said slide means for disengaging said eiement-engaging means from one element and directing said means into engagement with a succeeding element in a retract stroke of said rod, and locking means connected to and actuated by said second unit for locking said turret against rotation during intervals in which said element-engaging means is not engaged with an element.

8. A shoe machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of housing assemblies mounted on and spaced equally about said turret and successively presentable to an operators station during dwells of said turret, a plurality of drive elements mounted on and spaced equally about said turret one for each of said assemblies, a pivotally mounted drive fluid cylinder unit having a piston rod successively engageable with said elements and operative in its advance stroke for indexing said turret between dwells, a second fluid cylinder unit mounted substantially normal to said drive unit, slide means reciprocable by said second unit, rocker means pivotally mounted on said slide means and pivotally connected to an end of said rod, said rocker means being operative in one position of said slide means for guiding element-engaging means on said rod in substantially the path of an element engaged thereby during indexing of said turret and in another position of said slide means for disengaging said elementengaging means from one element and directing said means into engagement with a succeeding element in a retract stroke of said rod, locking means connected to and actuated by said second unit for locking said turret against rotation during intervals in which said element-engaging means is not engaged with an element, and fluid control valve means tripped by means on said rod at ends of advance and retract strokes thereof for controlling operation of said second unit.

9. A shoe machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of housing assemblies mounted on and spaced equally about said turret and successively presentable during dwells thereof at an operators station, fluid actuated means for indexing said turret between and locking said turret against rotation during said dwells, each of said mold assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationan'ly mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means mounted for longitudinal movement in said housing relative to each other and to said male mold means, fluid actuated means operative during a dwell of an assembly at said station for moving said female mold means between positions wherein said female mold means is respectively closed on and spaced from said male mold means, fluid actuated means operative at the next dwell of said turret for moving said wiper means to a wiping position, and means operative in the full cycle of said assembly back to said station for initially holding said female mold means in the position relative to said male mold means in which it left said station and presenting said female mold means at the end of said cycle in a position spaced from said male mold means.

10. A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of housing assemblies mounted on and spaced equally about said turret and successively presentable during dwells thereof at an operators station, fluid actuated means for indexing said turret between and locking said turret against rotation during said dwells, each of said mold assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means mounted for longitudinal movement in said housing relative to each other and to said male mold means, fluid actuated means operative during a dwell of an assembly at said station for moving said female mold means between positions wherein said female mold means is re,- spectively closed on and spaced from said male mold means, fluid actuated means for movingsaid wiper means to a gaging position at said station, fluid actuated means operative at the next dwell of said turret for moving said wiper means to a wiping position, and means operative in the full cycle of said assembly back to said station for initially holding said female mold means in the position relative to said male mold means in which it left said station and presenting said female mold means at the end of said cycle in a position spaced from said male mold means.

11. A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of housing assemblies mounted on and spaced equally about said turret and successively presentable during dwells thereof at an operators station, fluid actuated means for indexing said turret between and locking said turret against rotation during said dwells, each of said mold assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted mounted for longitudinal movement in said housing relative to each other and to said male mold means, fluid actuated means operative during a dwell of an assembly at said station for moving said female mold means between positions wherein said female mold means is respectively closed on and spaced from said male mold means, fluid actuated means for moving said wiper means to a gaging position at said station, fluid actuated means operative at the next dwell of said turret for moving said wiper means to a wiping position, and means operative in the full cycle of said assembly back to said station for initially holding said female mold means in the position relative to said male mold means in which it left said station and presenting said female mold and wiper means at the end of said cycle in positions in which they are retracted from said male mold means.

12. A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of housing assemblies mounted on and spaced equally about said turret and successively presentable during dwells thereof at an operators station, fluid actuated means for indexing said turret between and locking said turret against rotation during said dwells, each of said mold assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means mounted for longitudinal movement in said housing relative to each other and to said male mold means, fluid actuated means operative during a dwell of an assembly at said station for moving said female mold means between positions wherein said female mold means is respectively closed on and spaced from said male mold means, fluid actuated means operative at the next dwell of said turret for moving said Wiper means to a wiping position, track means cooperating with means carried by said female mold means in a full cycle of said' assembly for first holding said female mold means in the position relative to said male mold means in which it left said station and thereafter onreturn of said assembly to said station presenting said female mold means in a position spaced fromsaid male mold means, and cam means positioned in advance of said station and cooperating with means carried 'by said Wiper means in the wiping position thereof for retracting said wiper means from said position on return of said assembly to said station.

13; A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an indexable' rotary turret, a plurality of housing assemblies mounted on and spaced equally about said turret and successively presentable during dwells thereof at an operators station, fluid actuated means for indexing said turret between and locking said turret against rotation during said dwells, each of said mold assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, andfemale' mold means and wiper means mounted for longitudinal movement in said housing relative to each other and to said male m'old means, fluid actuated means operative during a dwell of an assembly at said station formoving said female mold means between positions wherein said female mold means is respectively closed on and spaced from said male mold means, fluid actuated means operative at the next dwell of said turret for moving said wiper means to a wiping positiomtrack means cooperating with means carried by said female mold means after said assembly leaves said station for first holding said female mold means in the position in'which it left said station and thereafter as necessary camming said female mold means to retracted position to present said female mold means in retracted position on return of said assembly to said station, and cam means positioned in advance of said station and cooperating with means carried by said wiper means in the wiping position thereof for retracting said wiper means from said position on return of said assembly to said station.

14'. A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an in- 15 dexable rotary turret, a plurality of housing assemblies mounted on and spaced equally about said turret and successively presentable during dwells thereof at an operators station, fluid actuated means for indexing said turret between and locking said turret against rotation during said dwells, each of said mold assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means mounted for longitudinal movement in said housing relative to each other and to said male mold means, fluid actuated means operative during a dwell of an assembly at said station for moving said female mold means between positions wherein said female mold means is respectively closed on and spaced from said male mold means, fluid actuated means for moving said Wiper means to a gaging position at said station, fluid actuated means operative at the next dwell of said turret for moving said wiper means to a wiping position, means operative in the full cycle of said assembly back to said station for initial-1y holding said female mold means in the positionrelative to said male mold means in which it is moved at said st ation and presenting said female mold and wiper means at the end of said cycle in positions in which they are retracted from said male mold means, and manually and fluid actuated valve means for controlling the operations of said several fluid actuated means.

15. A shoe upper shaping machine comprisingan indexable rotary turret, a plurality of moldassemblies on and spaced about said turret, fluid actuated means for indexing said turret and during dwellsthereof presenting said assemblies in succession at an operators station, each of said assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means independently movable longitudinally in said housing relative to said male mold means, gage means mounted on the wiper means of each assembly, and means common said gage means and operative on movement of each thereof at said station to a gaging position relative to said male mold means for predetermining the height thereof above said male mold means.

16. A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on and spaced about said turret, fluid actuated means for indexing said turret and during dwells thereof presenting said assemblies in succession at an operators station, each of said assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means independently movable longitudinally in said housing relative to said male mold means, gage means mounted on the wiper means of each assembly, and adjustable means common to said gage means and operative on movement of each thereof at said station to a gaging position relative to said male mold means for predetermining the height thereof above said male mold means;

17. A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of mold; assemblies mounted on and spaced about said turret, fluid actuated means for indexing saidturret and during dwells thereof presenting said assemblies in succession at an operators station, each of said assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means independently movable longitudinally in said housing relative to said male mold means, gage means pivotally mounted onand yield ably urged upwardly relative to the wiper means of each assembly, and adjustable means common to said gage means and operative on movement of each thereof at said station to a gaging position relative to said male mold 'means for predetermining the height thereof above said male mold means.

18. A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on and spaced about said turret, fluidmeans for indexing said turret and during dwells thereof presenting said assemblies in succession at an operators station, each of said assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means independently mov able longitudinally in said housing relative to said male mold means, gage means pivotally mounted on and yieldably urged upwardly relative to the wiper means of each assembly, and adjustable means common to and acting downwardly on each of said gage means on movement thereof to a gaging position for setting said gage means at a predetermined height relative to said male mold means, said adjustable means being yieldable upwardly under an abnormal resistance to its action by any of said gage means.

19. A shoe upper shaping machine comprising an indexable rotary turret, a plurality of mold assemblies mounted on and spaced about said turret, fluid means for indexing said turret and during dwells thereof presenting said assemblies in succession at an operators station, each of said assemblies including a housing, male mold means stationarily mounted in said housing, and female mold means and wiper means independently movable longitudinally in said housing relative to said male mold means, fluid actuated means engageable with means carried by the female mold means of each assembly during the dwell thereof at said station for moving said female mold means into position to close on said male mold means, and releasable means normally locking the carried means of the assembly at said station to said fluid actuated means for enabling said female mold means selectively to be separated by said fluid actuated means from said male mold means and to be removed from said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,765 12/1959 Lauretti l254.3 3,007,182 11/196'l Lauretti 12 53.5 3,238,545 3/1966 Stambaugh et a1. 1253.5 X

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHOE MACHINE COMPRISING A ROTARY TURRET, A PLURALITY OF MOLD ASSEMBLIES MOUNTED ON AND SPACED ABOUT SAID TURRET, A FLUID CYLINDER UNIT FOR INDEXING SAID TURRET TO ROTATABLY PRESENT SAID ASSEMBLIES IN SUCCESSION AT AN OPERATOR''S STATION, AND A SECOND FLUID CYLINDER UNIT COOPER- 